Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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40.69510°N / 111.018°W |
Route Type:
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Scramble |
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Time Required:
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Most of a day |
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Difficulty:
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Class 2+ |
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Approach
Crystal Lake is reached from the Trial Lake spur road off Highway 150 25.7 miles east and north of Kamas. Follow the signs along the spur road to Crystal Lake. This gravel road is good for all vehicles.Route Description
From the trailhead, take the trail posted for Long and Island Lakes. The first part of the trail is actually and old road that heads west and stays above Crystal Lake. There is a sign-posted junction at the end of the old road. Turn left (west) at the junction. The trail heads west for a mile and switchbacks up to Watson Pass. From Watson Pass, the trail continues west and drops gradually one mile to Long Lake. About half way between Watson Pass and Long Lake, there is a hard to spot and un-marked junction with the Middle Fork Weber River "Trail". Chances are you wont see it. Continue on the main trail. Just before Long Lake, there is another junction with the trail to Weir Lake and North Fork Provo River. Stay on the trail to the right and to Long Lake. Long Lake is in a pretty setting, but is over-used by campers. Island Lake is another 1.5 miles west along the well use trail. Just before Island Lake, there is another junction with the trail heading south to Duck Lake. Turn right and to Island Lake. Island Lake is in a very scenic setting, but it too receives heavy use from campers.From Island Lake, I have used two different routes to reach the summit of Long Mountain. Both are of about equal difficulty.
The first is via Ramona Lake and the SE ridge of Long. From the east side of Island Lake, head uphill to the northeast. After .4 miles, you will be at Ramona Lake. Head north cross-country to a pass at 10,678 feet. To reach the main summit of Long Mountain, head west then northwest along the ridge to the summit. There is boulder-hopping, but only the last part of the ridge is really steep. From the pass mentioned, you can also head east and then southeast to the east summit of Long Mountain at about 11,150 feet.
The second route from Island Lake is as follows. From Island Lake, continue on the trail along the trail to the northwest. The trail is is rather steep at first then flattens out and heads to a pass. At the pass, there is a junction with the Smith and Morehouse Trail. There is also a pond right near the pass. From the pass/junction/pond, climb to the NE along the ridge and to the summit. The ascent is steep and with boulder-hopping.
Either route is about 10 miles round trip from the trailhead.
